Taking Stock

The season is about 1/4 complete.  So far the Cubs have lacked consistency.  They've also had a lot of bad weather and postponements, including Thursday night's match against Atlanta.  You still have to like their chances, though.  If they can avoid stretches where they are in swing mode, such as Wednesday night, they will be in good shape.  In terms of talent, they are way above the level of any of their division rivals.

People, or rather sportswriters, are speculating on future moves.  A particularly weird trade scenario involves Manny Machado of the Orioles.  Word is the Cubs are all in for Machado, whatever that means.  Machado is certainly a terrific young player.  He is, however, a free agent next year, which, of course, makes him a rental.  Signing him in 2019, though not impossible, is going to cost something like $30MM a year and probably a six-year deal with all sorts of opt-outs.

The Orioles apparently want a lot for Machado.  The thing is the Cubs don't have much to give in terms of blue-chip minor league talent, which means, of course, you have to be willing to move a current starting player.  Speculation is that Russell is the minimum.  Russell is no Machado, but he is a really good shortstop and he is young as well.  I cannot see the team giving up on a player of his caliber who is under team control.  Also, the thing is that infielders are not the team's problem.  Offensively and defensively, the Cubs have one of the best infields in baseball, not to mention they have reserve infielders who could play every day on most teams in the league.

So this kind of deal makes very little sense.  Actually, most of the free agent speculation for 2019 for the Cubs is kind of iffy.  If they were to make a splash, it might be to go after Harper.  Even that means mortgaging the future, as they will likely have to spend big money to retain Bryant and Rizzo and Baez and Contreras in a couple of years.

If the Cubs need help around the trade deadline, it is going to be pitching, especially if Darvish doesn't return to form.  The biggest splash at the deadline is always pitching.  Witness Verlander's impact last year, as well as Darvish and Quintana in a smaller way.  Witness Andrew Miller's impact in 2016 as well as the Chapman deal the same year.  Dominant starters and relievers who can pitch more than an inning win in the post-season.  Not to mention that adding offense to a team that averages six runs a game is getting a little greedy.

Cubs Swept

I've got to say the Cubs almost pulled out an extra-innings victory after Baez's home run, but they managed to blow the game on a two-run homer by Dexter Fowler, who was 0 for 11 to that point in the series.  A tip of the hat to Luke Farrrell who has now served up two extra-inning game losing home runs to Cardinals hitters.  Perhaps he has earned a one-way ticket to Iowa.

In all honesty, the Cubs have been playing bad baseball for the past week.  It is not just the hitting.  This team just seems to be sleepwalking through games.  The previous two games of the series were winnable games.  Say what you like about Quintana and Chatwood not having their best stuff, but the Cardinals would not have scored three runs early on against Quintana if the Cubs had not made costly errors.  Nor would they have scored four runs against Chatwood had the Cubs not set them up with two costly misplays.

Finally, the Cubs would not have been in an extra-innings contest Sunday had Heyward not lost a ball in the lights or whatever happened.

Well, that was a devastating defeat.  Lets hope they can right the ship soon.

Same as It Ever Was

The Cubs finished off a pretty successful home stand by losing two straight to the Rockies.  Considering they never scored more than three runs in any of the games, that's doing pretty well.  Obviously, their pitching had a lot to do with the success.  I wasn't too concerned about the lack of offense against Milwaukee.  Those games were played under pretty appalling weather conditions.

The Rockies series, though, was, in my mind, a return to the bad habits that characterized the team early this year and for parts of last year as well.  Swinging for the fences, striking out.  They managed to pull out the first of the Rockies games, then just achieved nothing in the last two despite the wind howling out.

The Hendricks game was a game they should have won.  Hendricks pitched a really good game, especially as he was plagued by the umpiring of Laz Diaz, possibly the worst umpire in all of baseball.  Three solo homers in 7+ innings. The Cubs, though, were in full wind blowing out mode and managed just one.  Sometimes Maddon is just too cute.  His lineup with the wind gusting did not include Schwarber or Contreras or Baez for some reason and was just a jumble with Rizzo leading off and no rhyme or reason thereafter.

Wednesday's game saw more of the same flailing ABs and a pretty rotten performance by Yu Darvish, who has been bafflingly inconsistent to date.

On to St. Louis for an early season showdown with the Cards.